Remember those bad late 1970s/early 1980s movies featuring David Carridine and a host of B-grade actors bombing across the U.S. in a madcap coast-to-coast dash? Inspiration for those flicks came from auto editor Brock Yates' Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, a protest against Richard Nixon’s 55mph speed limit. Yates was inspired by the legendary endurance runs of Erwin “Cannonball� Baker, who made his first cross country dash in 1914 aboard an Indian twin. Today, Lonnie Isam, Jr., promoter and owner of Jurassic Racing in Sturgis, South Dakota, is adding to the Cannonball thread, making final preparations for a coast-to-coast endurance run for pre-1916 motorcycles, the Motorcycle Cannonball.

New retro bikes continue to grow in popularity. Royal Enfield, Triumph, Harley and Moto Guzzi all build motorcycles geared to riders whose tastes lean to yesterday’s classics. Add one more to the list thanks to the newly incorporated California Scooter Company, which is launching a line of bikes directly inspired by the classic Mustang motorcycles built in Glendale, Calif., from 1947 to 1965.

Bonhams will auction one of the few surviving Hildebrand & Wolfmüller motorcycles, a circa-1895 model that’s been in the same ownership since the early 1930s, at its annual International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford, England, April 25.

Husqvarna, the legendary make that ruled AMA Racing off-road competition throughout the 1970s and 1980s, has recently made a full-throttle return to national championship contention. This July 9-11, the iconic brand will celebrate its heritage and build toward its future as the Marque of the Year at the 19th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.

Sad news comes from the vintage racing world, where it’s been reported that Kenny Eggers, one of the top riders of the 1950s, has passed away at the age of 80 of natural causes. Eggers shot to national attention in 1954 when he sailed to fifth place in the Grand National Series opener at Daytona, riding a BSA Shooting Star. BSA took the top five spots, and the famed BSA Wrecking Crew was born.

January is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for MidAmerica Auctions’ annual, highly anticipated classic motorcycle auction in Las Vegas, Nev. The MidAmerica Las Vegas auction is widely seen as one of the most important auctions of the year, with many collectors viewing it as a barometer against which to gauge prospects for the coming year. The 2010 event is no different, with collectors around the country anxious to see how the market is holding up in an uncertain economy.

The Road America Vintage Motorcycle Classic, June 11-13, 2010, will mark the return of American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) racing and the addition of motocross and cross country and trials on courses built specifically for vintage racing. And Motorcycle Classics will be there, hosting the inaugural Road America Motorcycle Classics Ride and Show.

In celebration of the new Norton Commando SE, we’re giving away some hyper-cool Norton gear. How cool? At the top of the list is a framed metallic print from the Lord of Light and Master of the Pixel, motorsports photographer Daniel Peirce. Featuring a 1973 Norton 850 Commando, the signed and numbered print is from Peirce’s critically acclaimed book, The Fine Art of the Motorcycle Engine.

An extremely rare – as in the one and only – Ceccato 75 won the 2009 Concours d’Elegance held by the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in conjunction with the museum’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Owned by Italian bike collector Guy Webster, the Ceccato is believed the only survivor of five made by the Italian Ceccato company.

The AMA is pulling out the stops this year and moving its Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and related events to Las Vegas this weekend. Normally held at the AMA’s Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, this year’s induction ceremony and Hall of Fame Concours d’Elegance will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.